Roelstification devices



Jan. 3 1956 R. GRAF 2,732,644

IDENTIFICATION DEVICES Filed Dec. 29, 1951 Mia- INVENTOR. ROBERT GRAF United States P te t fi ce 2,732,644 EN FI AHQN D ICE Robert Graf, Detroit, Mich. Application December 20, 1951, .Serial No. 262,536 4 Claims. (Cl. 40 142) This invention relates to identification devices provided with interchangeable identification indicia.

An object of this invention is :to provide an identification device adapted to be mounted on objects to beidentified, which device is relatively simple in construction, compact and so arranged that interchangeable indicia are firmly secured when in the device but may be removed easily therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide an identification device that comprises a frame adapted tobe secured to the object to be identified and which is so constructed that indicia, such ;as letters 3Q! numbers, may be inserted into the frame from one end or.;side and removed only from the opposite end or side. i

A further object of the invention is to provide a device such as set forth in the next preceding object that is provided with a rack or toothed member and indicia having pawls or prongs that co-act with the toothed member in such fashion as to require insertion of the indicia into the frame in one direction, and prevent withdrawal of the indicia from the frame when it is attempted to move the indicia through the frame in the opposite direction.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an identification device embodying the features above set. forth that is adapted to be secured to various objects to be identified, such as dairy cans, buildings, et cetera.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a partial or fragmentary view in front perspective of an identification device arranged and constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in section taken on line IIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of a removable indicia such as a number embodied in the device of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of a dairy can, for example, a milk can, to which is secured an identification device such as shown in Fig. l and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in section taken on line VV of Fig. 4.

In Figure 1 of the drawings an identification device 1 is illustrated that comprises a generally rectangular frame 2. The frame 2 includes end members 3 and 4 and side members 5 and 6. In normal use the side members 5 and 6 would constitute the top and bottom members of the frame. The side members 5 and 6 are provided with L-shaped flanges 7 and 8 by means of which the frame may be secured to an object to be identified such as a milk can, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Rivets or other suitable means may be employed to secure the flanges 7 and 8 to the object to be identified.

Behind the respective side members 5 and 6 are stepped or ratchet members 9 and 10. Each member 9 and 10 includes a series of risers 11 and connecting sloping members 12. The sloping members 12 join the bottom of one riser with the top of an adjacent riser. The ends of the members 9 and 10 may be secured to the ends of the side 2,732,644 reteste Jen-.31 5

members 5 and 6 in any suitable manner as by means of rivets 13. V

A frame constructed as shown in Fig. 1 provides aspace 1:4 between the object to be identified and the ratchet members 9 and 10'through which space indicia such as numbers or letters may be moved. A specific form of indicia is illustrated in Fig. 3 and is identified by numeral 15. indicia 15 as specifically illustrated, is the numeral 3 formed from metal, such as aluminum or brass, or other isuificiently resilient durable material. At the top and bottom of the numeral .or indicia are to gues 16 and 17 located at the leading edge of the numeral. The leading edge of the numeral is that edge which precedes the numeral as "it moves from left to right through the frame as shown in Fig. 1. The numeral or indicia ,15 is also provided at the top and bottom with tongues 18 .and 19 that project forwardly towards the front of frame .2 when the indicia is mounted in the frame. Tongues 18 and 19 function as pawls in co-operation with therisers of the rack member 9. When .an identification device such as shown in the drawings is to be put to its intended use, frame 1 is secured to the object to be identified, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Appropriate indicia, letters or numerals .or a combination of both, are. gen placed in the frame bysliding them one at a time in'their proper orderinto the frame from the left thereof as seen in Fig. 1. As the first i ndic'ia'is placed in the frame at the left-hand end thereof, the tongues 16 and 17 slide over the teeth of rack 9 and guide the indicia along and through the space 13.

As the indicia is moved through space 13, the tongues 18 and 19 also bear on the teeth of the rack 9.

When the trailing ends of teeth 13 and 19 pass over the tops of riser 11 in members 9 and 10 they spring into the notches or angles between the sloping members 12 and the risers. If it is attempted to move the indicia in the reverse direction through the frame the ends of teeth 18 and 19 will abut the risers 11 and block movement in that direction.

When the indicia have been placed in the frame in the locations or order desired, the teeth or prongs 16, 17 and 18, 19 serve to firmly secure the indicia wtihin the frame as these prongs resiliently engage the teeth of the rack members 9 and 10 and the wall of the object to which frame 2 is secured.

While frame 2 has been shown as open, being closed by the Wall of an object to which it is secured, it will be understood that the back may be closed by a plate so that indicia may be placed in the frame before securing it to the object to be identified.

Having thus described the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art, that various modifications and changes may be made in the illustrated embodiment without departing from either the spirit or scope of the inven tion.

Therefore, what I claim as Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a rectangular frame having its opposite ends open and an open face, said frame comprising a pair of longitudinal and a pair of transverse members adapted to be secured to an object to be identified, both of said longitudinal members having a series of steps along the inside face thereof, each step having a riser extending rearwardly from and disposed substantially at right angles to said longitudinal members and an inclined member sloping rearwardly from the base of one riser to the rearmost point of an adjacent riser, and an indicia member slidably mounted behind said longitudinal frame members, said indicia member having resilient, spaced, forwardly projecting prongs disposed to cooperate with and slide over said steps as the indicia is moved from one end of the frame to the other in one direction, said new and desire to secure by prongs engaging the bases of the risers to prevent movement of the indicia through said frame in the reverse direction.

2. In combination, a rectangular frame which is open at opposite ends and having an open face, said frame being composed of frame members connected at the four corners of the frame, one of said frame members having on its inner face a plurality of teeth having flat faces disposed at substantially right angles to said frame member, and an indicia member slidably disposed behind the frame member provided with said teeth and the opposite frame member, said indicia member having a resilient projecting prong located adjacent the trailing edge thereof and disposed to slide over said teeth as it is moved along said frame members in one direction and to register with a tooth to prevent movement of the same in the reverse direction along said frame members, the leading edge of said indicia being provided with a prong disposed to guide the indicia over said teeth as it moves through the frame in the direction in which the forwardly projection prong trails.

3. A combination as in claim 2 in which opposite frame members are provided on the inside face thereof with teeth as in claim 2, the indicia is provided at the trailing edge thereof with forwardly projecting prongs disposed to co-act with the teeth of said frame members, and the leading edge of said indicia member is provided with guide prongs disposed to pass over said teeth as the indicia member is moved through the frame in the direction of said leading edge.

4. In combination, a rectangular frame having two opposite members which are substantially L-shaped in section and provided with means for securing the frame to an object to be identified and when so secured providing a space between said L-shaped members and the object through which space indicia members may be slid through the space from one end of the frame to the other, a ratchet-toothed member secured to the inside face of the front leg of one of said L-shaped members and the object to be identified, an indicia member slidable through the frame and provided with a resilient pawl adapted to :40 cooperate with the teeth of said ratchet-toothed memher that the indicia member may be moved in one direction only through said indicia receiving space, the pawl being located at the trailing edge of the indicia member, and the leading edge of the indicia member being provided With a guide prong disposed to slide over the teeth of said ratchet-toothed member as it is moved through the space with said guide prongs leading.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 949,578 Keene Feb. 15, 1910 1,027,008 Sjovik May 21, 1912 1,271,804 Thunell July 9, 1918 1,934,598 Fortinbury Nov. 7, 1933 1,994,686 Chernow Mar. 19, 1935 2,058,168 Merk Oct. 20, 1936 2,396,757 1 Storm Mar. 19, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 321,262 Great Britain Nov. 7, 1929 

